Improved process for making paper-pulp from cornstalks



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. DIXON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVED PROCESS FOR MAKING PAPER-PULP FROM CORNSTALKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 51,432, dated December12, 1865.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. DIXON, of the city of Philadelphia and Stateot' Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Process of Making Pulpout of Cornstalks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a fulland and exact description of the same.

It has long been desired to make pulp for paper out of eornstalks, andvarious plans have been tried.

My improvement consists in employing highly-heated water under pressureforced to circulate through the mass to be pulped.

The annexed drawing exhibits an apparatus well adapted to carrying on myprocess.

A represents the pulp-digestcr, which is a boiler made of strong iron,(capable ot' resisting a pressure of from one hundred to three hundredpounds,) say four feet diameter and twelve feet high. It is furnishedwith a manhole cover, B, and aperforated diaphragm, C, a centralremovable cover, D, and a lower perforated diaphragm, E, with a slidingvalve, as described fully in a former application for patent made by me.

F is a conical coil built in a furnace, and connecting at its lowerextremity with the lower part ot' the pulp-digester A by means of thetubes 1, 2, and 3. At 4 a rotary pump is placed in the course of thistube. The upper part of the coil F is connected by the tube 6 with theinterior of the digester A at its top.

G is an arm or wooden tank-say four feet diameter and ten or twelve feethigh-open or closed. The tube 7 passes from the lower part of thedigester A through the walls of the tank G, and thence coils up and downa number of times in that tank, and passes out through the valve of thetank at 8. The interior of the tank is connected by the tube 4 with thetube 2 and the pump.

The operation of this apparatus is as lfollows: The digester A is to belled with the cornstalks or sorghum-stalks to be pulped through theman-hole B. The cocks T and K are closed and the cocks L and M opened; atire is made under the coil F and the digester and coil filled withfresh water. Fire is then applied under the coil F and maintained untilthe desired pressure-say from eight-y poundsto two hundred pounds-isobtained. The pump 4 is then started and made to circulate thehighly-heated water from the bottom of the digester through theheating-coil F into the top. After this liquid has circulated some timethe cock L is to be closed and the cock T is opened. Thus the liquidwill pass through the coil of pipe 9, l0, ll, and l2, and escape at S.The tank is filled with fresh water,which is heated by the liquidpassing through the coil. The cock K being opened, the water thus heatedin the tank passes on through the tubes 5 and 2, the pump 4, and thecoil F into the top ot' the digester A. By this means the water filledwith gummy and other matters can be freely removed and its temperatureimparted to a fresh supply'-t-fwater and passed out. After the contentso; e boiler A have been thus changed the cocks T and K are to he closedand the cock L opened, whereupon the circulation produced by the pumpwill be resumed, as at the rst, from the bottom to the top, and socontinued until the liquid becomes again surcharged With gummy matter.

By this means the vegetable material can be pulped without mechanicalaid in from ve to twelve hours, depending on the pressure used.

What [claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The process of making pulp from cornstalks by digesting them inhighlyheated water under pressure, substantially as described.

JOHN W. DIXON.

Witnesses M. G. HUBBARD, J. WM. KEEPEs.

